Compensation
Compensation is an episode of series 20 that first aired on 30 April 2004. Plot synopsis DCI Burke's personal life comes to the fore as the team are called to the countryside of Fenmore after a farmer is killed in a suspicious fire. With few clues and no villager prepared to offer information, Burke feels they have stepped into a private war. Full plot synopsis When Ian Coutes is found burnt to death in his bed after stumbling home drunk from the pub, the fire brigade suspect that it was not an accident. Coutes was a farmer in the village of Fenmore which just so happens to fall under the jurisdiction of Maryhill CID. Burke briefs the team, Jackie is less than happy about the prospect of a few days in the country. The team arrive at the scene of the fire but Gemma is late, lost on route which Robbie just can't help but rub in when she finally does arrive. When they see the key in the outside of the door to the room in which Coutes' body lays, it is clear that there is a case of murder to investigate. The only place to stay in the village is the local pub - The Black Bull. Jackie and Burke have their own rooms and Robbie and Stuart share. Burke and Jackie go and speak to Mark Andrews, who lives in the new housing estate on the edge of the village. Andrews tells them that there is a very real sense of 'them and us', 'old and new' in the village and that the older residents dislike the new housing estate residents. Andrews himself had been heard arguing with Coutes by the bar man at the Black Bull. Coutes was in debt and was selling off his land. Gemma finds some 2:2 rifle bullets in Coutes house but no rifle. Robbie and Stuart speak to Sorley Crawford who saw the smoke and called the fire brigade. That night in the pub the friction between Andrews in particular and the farmers is obvious. Crawford leaves the pub to go home for his tea. Before sitting down he goes to the barn to feed the cattle. He is gone a while so his wife goes to call him in. Crawford emerges from the barn on fire and dies on the floor in front of his wife. Mrs Crawford tells Jackie that they had financial problems and that they had been approached by Andrews who offered to buy their land. With her husband dead she decides to sell to Andrews. In light of the new murder Robbie and Stuart go to speak with Frankie Robertson who had been in the pub. He tells them that his father left him the land and that he will never sell. Robbie meets Kellie, Frankie's sister who he takes an instant shine too. He invites her for a drink and tells her to bring a friend for Stuart! Burke and Jackie go back to the new estate to speak to Andrews. The estate has been the target of some vandalism by the young farmers. Burke goes to see another farmer in the area, Billy Jameson. He asks him what he thinks about the new estate and Andrews, Billy replies that he can see why there is animosity and that the village is still trying to recover from the foot and mouth out break. He takes Burke to the spot where his cattle were burnt and buried. It is clear that Burke has a certain respect for Billy and talks openly about his fathers disapproval of his choice of occupation. He also reminds Billy that there is to be a village meeting in the pub that night. Meeting in the pub - Burke addresses villagers and a ruction breaks out between Andrews and Frankie Robertson. Another of the farmers John Duggan storms out of pub. Robbie, Stuart and local police sergeant Graeme Barr make a list of who was present at the meeting. Back in pub Robbie is entertaining Kellie who brings her friend Laura Duggan to keep Stuart company. Burke goes to see John Duggan who has locked himself in the back room of his house in fear of his life. He refuses to let Burke in. Robbie 'scores' with Kellie, and tells Stuart to give him a couple of hours in their room. Burke goes to see Billy again. Stuart takes Laura home and tries to speak to Duggan himself. He again refuses. When Stuart returns to the room at the pub, it is in darkness, he quietly opens the door and finds Robbie in the camp bed on the floor. Stuart - "you're in my bed" Robbie - "Aye, well you can get in the proper bed then." Stuart sits on the double bed and it collapses! Robbie - "she got a bit excited." Next morning Jackie sees Burke sitting on the bench opposite the pub, she goes to join him and he tells her that he can't stand Andrews. They go to see him and ask him for information about the land company he works for. He gives them the name of his boss, but checks show that no one of that name is known. So Burke sends Jackie and Stuart back to Glasgow to look into this further. Robbie goes to see Frankie Robertson again. Kellie is cold with him. As they talk they witness Frankie physically throwing Andrews off his property. He wants the land, but Frankie won't budge. Robbie learns from Kellie that their father disappeared at the time of the foot and mouth crisis. Burke goes to see Cammy, another of the young farmers and finds a shot gun in his possession. The gun in marked with the letters IC. Burke and Robbie question Cammy about the gun and he finally admits to winning it from Ian Coutes in a card game. Burke and Robbie talk to Sgt Barr about Robertson Snr's disappearance. No steps were taken to find him. Burke goes off to see Billy and asks him about Robertson. Billy tells him that on one liked him. He gives Burke a pebble from his land telling him to take it whilst it was still his to give. Burke and Robbie go to see Andrews whose alibi for both murders is home alone. Back at the police station Burke finds a video left by the Ministry of Agriculture, it shows scenes of cattle being burnt. One shot is of Billy watching his cattle being burnt. Burke sees the hurt and hatred in his eyes. On a mission he stops Robbie's plans of another night of passion with Kellie and sends him to speak to the other young farmer, Brian. Stuart goes to see Laura. Brian eventually tells Robbie that he can't remember who was with him at the new estate on the night it was vandalised - the night of Crawford's murder. The vandalism had so far been the alibi for all the young farmers. Stuart takes Laura home and they find Duggan crying for help, the back room alight. Stuart breaks the door down and puts out the fire. Duggan is shaken but un-harmed. Robbie and Stuart are sent to bring in Andrews. Jackie compares the land maps from the office with those of Andrews'. One field is missing from Andrew's maps. In the morning the team visit the field and find it half ploughed. Burke sees something sticking out of the ground, cleans it off to reveal a skull. Gemma is able to tell them that the victim was male, middle aged and burnt with two bullet holes in the back of the head like an execution. The bullets used were point 2:2. Jack Robertson was 49 when he disappeared. They discover that field changed hands from Ian Coutes to Frankie Robertosn. Burke and Jackie speak to Cammy who reveals that Frankie Robertson was not with them when they vandalised the estate - thus his alibi is broken. Robbie and Stuart go through Robertson's study at the farm and find a burnt wrist watch bearing signs of having been in the soil. Stuart finds petrol cans in the barn. Frankie Robertson ploughed up the remains of his father after winning the land in a card game from Coutes. Duggan is brought in, but still wont talk, so Burke puts him in the same room as Frankie. Duggan talks. Robertson was buying in infected stock so that he could claim the compensation. He had to be stopped from infecting the entire area so the farmers got together to stop him. Billy fired the gun. Frankie was out for revenge Burke drives straight to Billy's farm to find him walking up the field with a petrol can. He pours the petrol over himself, Burke tries to stop him but Billy has made peace with his own son and tells Burke to "go see your Dad son". Billy sets himself alight and dies on the floor in front of Burke. The episode ends back in Glasgow, Burke is still brooding and encouraged by Jackie he agrees to go and see his Dad, but not until he's thrown Billy's pebble into the Clyde. Cast Matthew Burke - Alex Norton Robbie Ross - John Michie Jackie Reid - Blythe Duff Stuart Fraser - Colin McCredie Gemma Kerr - Lesley Harcourt Ian Coutes - 1st murder victim, part not credited Billy Jameson - played by Matthew Bil Boyd John Duggan - Stewart Preston Sgt Graeme Barr - Dave Anderson Mark Andrews - Nick Farr Laura Duggan - Joanne Bett Kellie Robertson - Shonagh Price Sorley Crawford - Hamish Wilson Ann Crawford - Anna Hepburn Frankie Robertson - Gordon Brown Cammie - Andrew John Tait Brian - Anthony Strachan Category:Series 20 episodes